During Labor Day weekend, I accompanied my friend to the outlet mall with no intention of buying anything. The stores were a blur to me, (with the exception of Theory, at which I pet the soft leather jackets for an extended period of time) and the merchandise quality and deals were underwhelming. I passively tried on this drapey dress at the Ann Taylor factory to kill time, and ended up really liking it.
If carefully assessed, the dress is not exceptional in quality nor fit. However, there were many aspects of it that I loved individually and saw potential in.Fit: The outlets carry down to XXSP, of which the overall fit was roomy on me. I planned on taking in the sides from the chest and waist down to the bottom hem, however the garment construction made it more difficult than I anticipated. The skirt half of this dress is lined, and the lining is connected at the waist. I decided to leave the torso alone (and address it with a waist belt), and only slim and taper the bottom half:
Recently, I've been going back to a number of my skirts and dresses and finding myself unsatisfied with the shape at the bottom. A straight-cut skirt like this one looks fine, but after a tiny bit of tapering, the resulting pencil silhouette is more feminine and shapely. I leave the excess material just in case tastes change in the future. And oops, I really need to shorten the sleeves on this jacket versus hoisting them up with large safety pins.Quality: The material of this dress is a thin rayon/metallic fiber blend, and as mentioned previously, only the bottom half is lined in polyester knit. A slip or shapewear bottoms may be necessary despite the lining, as I noticed seams and contours showing through. I'm wearing a mid-thigh length slip in these photos and you can still see the outline of the slip hem slightly. Tag says dry clean, but I plan on hand-washing in cold water.

I've worn this dress to work a few times and the material does not wrinkle after a day of wear, but it does form creases when folded up in a drawer. The material is stretchy and comfortable for long work days.

Price: Factory retail was $99, marked down to $64.99. I purchased it on a 40% off day (seems to happen quite often there) and I had an extra 10% off coupon. Total paid was $35. Factory stores do take orders over the phone and ship to homes, if you have the item # (286554).Other details: What really drew me to this dress was the Grecian-inspired draping, and the soft taupe color (with just a hint of metallic) that pairs easily. I also appreciated the not-too-low cowl neck, the dolman sleeves, and the small pleats on both shoulders. I love the silhouette of a slightly loose upper balanced out with a more fitted, tapered bottom. Cinched with a waist belt, the overall vibe of this dress feels almost glamorous.

Loft Outlet and Ann Taylor Outlet often have 20-40% off sales weekly and if it's a holiday, most sales will start as early as wednes/thurs if you like avoiding the crowds. I think closer to the holidays, you may see 50% off, but it's typically 40%. I believe shipping is free if you carry a loft/ann taylor card, otherwise it's about $8?

great find at the outlet. it's nice that it's partially lined. i've noticed that half the time, the dresses aren't lined when they should be due to the thinness of the material. you have a great eye on what would look good on you and what you need to do to make it work for your body type. thanks for the review and you look fabulous as always!

The dress looks fabulous, Jean! I agree, the draping is very pretty. If it were floor length and bias-cut, it would look like a 1930s movie star dress! (Can't believe the $99 price for thin rayon - lucky you got it for only $35!)

I love your factory-store finds! But, I always fall in love with them and then I'm always calling around frantically trying to track down the dress in stores around the nation. It's totally worth it though :)

The dress looks great always impressed by your tailoring! - after ordering some pants (inspired by your post last week from Express - the Editor pants - not 100% satisfied with the fit) I really need to go find a good tailor / learn how to sew.

Question regarding this outfit - have you ever found slips either in Boston or online to fit? There are definitely some items I own that would benefit and an extra layer come fall.

Also - wearing tights/stockings with heels - any solutions to stop ones foot slipping in the heel and rubbing all the skin off ones foot. ? Does anyone have any good suggestions - such as those extra thick tight foots ?

I know this doesn't work universally, but I've been buying leather shoes half size down in general and making sure they fit snugly with tights on, before keeping. I too cannot stand stockinged feet slipping in and out of shoes.

I have a suggestion for overall site navigation: organize the outfit posts by season (perhaps tag them as such, in the short term). In my case, I thought "Hmmm, weather's getting chilly. I wonder what Extra Petite has come up with for fall/winter looks in the past?" and seasonal archiving would answer my question at a glance. :-)

I could click on "December" for winter outfits, you're right. But it would be much for fun and accurate to have Jean sort them, so if she wears a winter outfit on a chilly day in April, it's still tagged as such! Just a suggestion.

I agree with Rachel. I really, really love it when bloggers archive all of their outfits accordingly or simply put linked pictures under the "outfits" tab... so you can quickly look at all of the pictures from that one year on ONE page. I think "What I Wore" does that. Sometimes I don't have time to sift thru the past months posts, but would rather reference just the photos for inspiration.

Obviously this does take time and energy, which so few of us have in large amounts :).

I am also looking for silk shirts do any tips gratefully received... Anyway, I checked out 'stylish petite' blog, and really darlings, imitation is thd greatest form of flattery. It's superficially similar, but the photos are not as good, thd girl not quite as pretty and the copy is rather poor I thought... Extra petite posts are witty and well written so not much to worry about there. It's a little like a fake and a real CHANEL bag.

I just saw the exact same blouse at J. Crew Factory this weekend... It was still regular price but with 40% off! Since it's factory-made I decided to check the label and it was actually 100% silk and not polyester. They had other colours available with 40% off. Go check it out =) I almost bought it... I should go back now :)

Oh by the way, the sizing is different.. I think it was letter sizing instead of numbered... XS was the smallest at my store.

Thank you so, so, SO much for taking a stand against the plagiarism. It puts a cloud over the entire petite blogging community and it's been bothering me that so many people were enabling such poor behavior. You have lots of supporters who have noticed but had no way to say anything because SP/RP deletes any comments that point out the problem, even tactfully. Something needed to be said, especially since other bloggers are affected too.

I agree that Annie copies, but I don't think Jean is so innocent. Her gingham shirt with lace skirt outfit is a copy of Blair on Atlantic-Pacific (I guess jean couldn't find a sequin skirt). Although Jean looked like a picnic and Blair looked so glam. Jean also copies a lot from Anh and Wendyslookbook. Anh, Wendy, and Blair are the real deal, the rest are amateurs at best.

I have to disagree. I've been reading EP for a long time and I also follow Anh, Wendy and Blair. Jean's style is totally different from any of these bloggers and I can't think of any outfits that Jean "copied" from them. Additionally, Jean always strives to credit other bloggers if she borrows one of their looks/ideas. I believe she is extra sensitive to this issue, since she herself is a victim of being copied/plagiarized. ~MCL

As another longtime EP reader, I would have to say I do not find this to be true. MCL is right - when Jean is inspired by another blogger, she credits and links back to their post or site. Also, Jean started her blog before Wendy (and maybe even Blair and Anh). Besides, you said it yourself - a lace skirt is not the same as a sequin one.

I read all their blogs and I totally agree with MCL. Jean's style is different from theirs. Their outfits are more trendy fashion (sometimes even avant-garde) while Jean is more classical fashion. Jean not only showcase outfits but she supplies knowledge in regards to fashion and fit as well. I'm not petite but I enjoy reading her blog because of these reasons.

I agree with the first comment. Jeans older style was much plainer and focused on fit. Her style improved greatly after she befriended Wendy and Jen frmheadtotoe. I don't think the style would have evolved the way it has to wear bright bottoms or peplum if it weren't't for Wendy's influence. Her style too classic to wear gingham as evening wear. She's classic but her more on trend looks are definitely influenced by others and she doesn't always give credit for it. Annie is waaaaaaay more obvious in her copying

I'm a recent follower of extrapetite.com in that I've only been following since the very tail end of 2011, however I have gone back and read every entry since its inception. What it seems to me (and of course I could be wrong) is that Jean has spent the majority of her blog building her basic/classic wardrobe, and in the last year/year-and-a-half or so, she's been branching out into new colors, prints, silhouettes, and price points. True, Anh, Blair and Wendy might have inspired Jean and encouraged her to take more fashion risks, but I think most of the changes we've seen are simply a natural evolution in style and taste (my own style and taste certainly have changed as I've gotten older, esp as I've gotten increasingly savvy in finding clothes that fit). This is not even comparable to the kind of copying Annie has been doing for YEARS.~Shirley

I think it's hard for anyone to say that their style does not evolve over time for a variety of reasons, but hopefully it still stays true to themselves. The bloggers mentioned above are my favorites, and I am definitely influenced by them to shop different styles and be more experimental. I try my best to credit, but sometimes inspiration is subconscious and comes together from a variety of sources. That being said, being able to provide inspiration to others plays a huge role in the fashion world, and in each of those bloggers' individual successes. If I personally encouraged someone else to find an item they love or try something that they normally wouldn't have, I am pleased and flattered.

I think there's a clear distinction between the above and what I spoke out against. I was addressing plagiarism in the form of pervasive copying over several years - starting with blog theme, title, layout and design, then progressing to styling, content, wardrobe replication, sponsors sought...and eventually even encompassing writing style, vocab, poses and more. This record -despite numerous, specific communications asking for it to cease- coupled with the dishonesty that has been brought to light, in my opinion should not be bucketed into the same category as taking inspiration.

It seems Jean's calling out (via twitter) of Stylish Petite's outfit is based on her copying and then lying about copying of Jean's above taupe outfit. But I don't find the outfit that exact, the dress colour was much lighter and the jacket was a different texture (boucle vs. tweed). With that being said if Jean is saying influence is okay and encouraged, I do think that this would qualify as influence if people above say that that Jean's gingham shirt/lace skirt is an influence of Blair's ginghem skirt/sequin skirt. While it's obvious it's a copy/influence, it seems that Jean is saying that's okay based on her comment above. SP definitely copied Jean in her layout and how she assesses her purchases. I'm surprised it took this taupe outfit to set Jean off on a twitter hysteria when SP's H&M suit outfit was more identically copied from Jean. ~RB

RB I think you are confused. Or maybe I am but I don't think it had anything to do with THIS post. I think Jean's tweets were about Stylish Petite buying a bunch of exact things on eBay and then telling her followers they were given from her mom. Just do a google of the copying topic, readers have saved plenty of evidence on forums.

I disagree with the top Anon commenter saying Blair, Anh + Wendy are the "real deal" and the rest are amateurs.

What blindfold are you wearing? Seriously, let's be real. They ALL get inspirations from somewhere and copy someone at one point or another. Sometimes never even crediting their inspiration but we won't go there. I actually follow them all and like their style and sometimes I see similar outfits but what makes a blogger unique is the ability to create an outfit from an inspiration but being able to put your own spin on it. Jean does that and what makes her truly unique is you can tell she spent a lot of time and put a lot of love in each and every single post, she also always gives credit to her inspirations which I respect greatly....so yea, I have to disagree with ya love.

For those that think RP/SP's copying is a coincidence due to shopping at the same stores, do a google search and you will find a website identifying numerous instances where RP copied exact look, down to the accessories. This evidence, in conjunction with copying website layout, poses, and even instagram shots (why the sudden interest in food shots RP?!), shows that RP is not inspired by Jean, but obsessively replicating Jean's website. It will not stop until Jean calls her out on it.

Hey are you referring to 'stylish petite? I checked her blog out and I thought of the old ' imitation is the best form of flattery'' it's plagiarism - but not sure what can ve done about it. Anyway it's no where near as good as this. Photos not as good, model not as beautiful and writing not nearly up to extra petite standard, which is witty and articulate. It's just like the difference between a real and a fake CHANEL bag....

Hi Jean - Just another note in support of you and your blog. Even though others may constantly try to copy you, they CAN'T copy your creativity and individual style! Thanks again for sharing all your great ideas and advice - as one of many many readers of your blog, I really appreciate it!!

Hi Mansi, the buckle came with it but it is sold separately. The belt size is 70 in length (I could have taken longer...70 barely, barely works at the lower hip) and the width is a little under an inch.

I love the dress with the belt and the purse but oddly enough, not as much with the blazer. I can't put my finger on exactly why but I think this is my usual reaction to pairing a slightly boxier blazer with a curvier dress. I wonder if it's because it seems to have covered up the torso lines.

On another note, I got a bit of background on the "ethics" topic I tweeted at you about as I wasn't actually sure what was going on, and now I wonder how I missed all of that to begin with. It's all so obvious *now*. I stand by what I said earlier - it's a shame that's been going on as long as it has and plagiarism, doesn't matter what the original content was created for, fun or profit, is a serious issue. Interestingly, the world of copyright pretty much always favors the creator and it doesn't matter what the intent or knowledge of the plagiarist was - if you did it, you pay. Something to consider.

I'm glad this is finally boiling over. As a long-time reader, it's been hard to watch when you want to voice support but no one is taking the stand against the copying and plagiarism. Now that you have stepped up and publicly voiced your disapproval and even distress, everyone can finally stand behind you and voice their support.

As a blogger, this is specially important because I personally deleted from my reader all the wishy-washy bloggers that try to sit on the fence and say that they aren't going to take sides. You can't possibly see all the evidence and still try to say that it is accidental or that the other blogger simply didn't mean it. If you really ARE friends with her, it is your JOB as a friend to point out when she is headed down the wrong path. If you are her friend, she should be able to accept that it comes from a place of concern and not because everyone is being mean. My real friends are able to tell me when something I am doing is unhealthy and even when I am being a complete crazy.

If these "on the fence" bloggers can't pass on the cease and desist message in a way that will be received by their friend, why still publicly support such behavior? This is one of the worst instances of real and blatant plagiarism to happen in the blogging community and everyone who isn't taking a stand is contributing to the problem.~SC

Late to the party, and I've already tweeted my support to you, Jean, but I think it bears emphatic repeating. Not only has "Stylish" Petite obsessively copied your outfits, but has taken every last minute detail of your blog (from design to the style of writing to photo backgrounds, not to mention Twitters) and tried it pass it off as her own. I think it's deplorable and inexcusable and more than ridiculous that you've had to email her numerous times about this. Plus, the obvious lies about the origin of a piece, when in reality, she furiously hunts down specific items of your's (from past seasons too!) on eBay.

Although this has been going on for awhile, I was in deep admiration for your seemingly never-ending patience and class in publicly ignoring SP's shameless antics. However, enough is enough and I pretty much applauded when you rightfully and in your own words, stood up for yourself. You were actually one of the first bloggers I came across when I first discovered fashion blogging, and as fellow petite (4'10"!), I loved your intelligent, high-quality, and extremely helpful posts. Your creativity and blogging is unparalleled, and I greatly look forward to, as always, every single one of your posts.

I've been a long time reader of your wonderful blog, Jean, and I LOVE your style, and thank you for sharing your experiences, thoughts and tips on how we can all look a little more stylish. Your blog was one of the first fashion blogs I started reading (my first post was the Burberry wool trench you styled - lovely!), and I admire how your style has evolved over the years.

I usually steer clear of the comments on style blogs, as I never really know what I can say to add value to the conversation, but appreciate the effort and thought that you obviously put into each post. It was sad to read about the plagarism and drama described above. I admire your patience and maturity in dealing with this issue.

Hi Jean, I love your belt! I know you previously mentioned it was a `constance`sz70...could you please tell me how many mm it is? There are too many options listed! If you could help, that'd be great! Thanks!

As a long time reader of Jeans, I will admit that I did notice Jean's blogging style changed a lot when Wendy came onto the blogging scene. Jean started adding cutesy nuances to her previously all serious videos, it was very apparent because it looked so unnatural. Refer to Jeans dressing for travel vlog and her smokey eye tutorial. It was most evident when you look at Wendy's sock bun tutorial and Jeans peplum skirt video, all the different ways you can wear your sock bun or peplum layer. This seems to be a bit of a stretch to say its all "subconscious" influence. I see no credit given. I'm still a fan jean, I just prefer u be yourself than to try to mimick others style, that's what makes u unique.

I've noticed Jean's injection of humor in many of her earliest posts, including her first videos (e.g. "belt hole puncher helper" and the fact that she left one eyebrow undone in her ELF review). Jean's humor includes a dry wit that is very different from Wendy's more silly and expressive humor, in my opinion. Also, a "ways you can wear a sock bun" is vastly different than a "ways to wear a peplum skirt" video. If Jean had also done a sock bun tutorial, then I'd say you're onto something. But when Jean has done something very similar to another blogger's content, as with Elle's how-to-tie-a-blouse-over-a-dress tutorial, it's always at Jean's fans' request and she's always given full credit. From what I have seen (and I do follow the petite fashion blogs pretty religiously these days), I think that Jean has remained both original and true to herself in all of her postings, and I for one am very glad that we're getting to see more and more of Jean's unique humor and history. ~Shirley

Jean, you have handled all of this with such grace, maturity, and poise. In addition to working full-time and studying for all of your exams, you still manage to produce incredibly creative and useful content for your readers.

The depth and breadth of StylishPetite's plagiarism is shocking. Lying about the provenance of clothing and jewelry is pathological and unethical. StylishPetite needs to post an apology on her blog and then remove herself from the blogging community forever.

Hi Jean, I enjoy all your blog posts regardless if the items are brand new or thrifted.I noticed you now have two Hermes belts. Could you do a post on the best way to purchase them both in store or on ebay?

Thank you, Thank you, I have just been looking for info about this since many times this is the greatest I have Really surprised when i searched this type information I have just been looking for info about this since many times this is the greatest I have Really surprised when i searched this type information